Federal government officials have announced that they’re spending $9.47 million to carry out various improvements at Rouge National Urban Park in the southern end of the park at the Scarborough and Pickering border.
During an announcement on Monday, officials said the project will involve several elements:
- Building a new and accessible 2.3-kilometre trail connecting Rouge Beach and Mast Trail
- Conducting ecological restoration in Rouge Marsh
- Constructing a new and permanent washroom building
- Improving the parking at the upper beach area
- Creating a new park entrance with an accessible ramp to get to the beach, marsh and southern trailhead
- Decommissioning and renaturalizing the parking lot by the lower beach
Officials noted elevated boardwalks and bridges will help with protecting wetlands and providing a safer connection to the beach and marsh areas.
Another project underway elsewhere in the park is the creation of a new visitor education centre.
A bulletin posted on the Parks Canada website said access to the area off of Lawrence Avenue East will be blocked to the public until sometime in 2027.
“Heavy construction activity, unstable ground conditions and the lack of safe access for emergency and service vehicles require a full closure of the entire area until work is complete,” the bulletin said in part.
“Parks Canada understands this closure may be frustrating for visitors and local trail users. We recognize how important this area is for recreation, active transportation and waterfront access.”
Rouge National Urban Park is approximately 79 square kilometres and is home to more than 2,000 plant and animal species.
